Development Manager
Fundraising | Grants | Donor Engagement | Events | Communications
Organization: Village Learning Place
Location: Baltimore, Maryland | Hybrid; regular on-site and local event presence required
Position:
Full-time, regular | 40 hours per week | Salaried, exempt
Schedule:
Primarily Monday-Friday; occasional evenings and weekends
Salary: $60,000-$65,000 annually, depending on experience
Reports to:
Executive Director
Anticipated start:
Early October 2026
About Village Learning Place
Village Learning Place (VLP) is an independent nonprofit library and learning center in Baltimore's Charles Village neighborhood. Our mission is to promote literacy, cultural awareness, and lifelong learning through access for all ages to information, resources, and educational programs. VLP is a welcoming community hub where children, families, adults, and neighbors connect, learn, and grow.
The opportunity
VLP is seeking a Development Manager to lead the day-to-day work that sustains and increases our fundraising efforts. This is a hands-on generalist role for a strong writer and relationship-builder who can move comfortably among grant proposals, donor stewardship, individual giving, fundraising events, communications, and development systems.
The Development Manager will join VLP at an exciting moment. As we prepare to celebrate our 30th anniversary and advance a capital campaign, this person will help strengthen the fundraising foundation, engage donors and community partners, and tell a clear, compelling story about VLP's impact.
What you'll do
Fundraising and donor relationships
- Manage individual giving efforts, including annual appeals, monthly giving, donor cultivation, and stewardship plans.
- Cultivate, solicit, and steward individual, institutional, corporate, and community supporters through thoughtful outreach, meetings, communications, and events.
- Help plan and carry out fundraising strategies connected to VLP's 30th anniversary and capital campaign.
- Create donor acknowledgments, fundraising materials, impact updates, and stewardship communications that are timely, specific, and engaging.
Grant writing and management
- Take responsibility for grant writing and reporting, from planning and drafting through submission and follow-up.
- Research prospective funders and develop clear, persuasive proposals and reports in partnership with program and leadership staff.
- Manage the fundraising calendar, submission process, supporting materials, and reporting requirements so commitments are accurate and deadlines are met.
- Maintain effective grant-writing systems and coordinate development or grant-writing consultants as assigned.
Events, engagement, and communications
- Plan and execute donor and fundraising events, including Read Between the Wines and anniversary or community-based events developed with staff and volunteer committees.
- Design strategies that deepen engagement with donors, volunteers, alumni, sponsors, and community members.
- Manage development-related communications across our website, newsletters, social media, fundraising campaigns, and event promotion.
- Collaborate with program staff to gather stories, outcomes, and data that demonstrate VLP's impact and bring the mission to life.
Development operations and community partnerships
- Maintain accurate donor and prospect records in the donor database and ensure gifts, acknowledgments, and tax receipts are processed and tracked correctly.
- Monitor development metrics and prepare clear progress reports for the Executive Director and other organizational leaders.
- Strengthen relationships with community partners, sponsors, and corporate supporters, and represent VLP at local events and networking opportunities.
- Coordinate fundraising and communications consultants as assigned while keeping priorities, deliverables, and deadlines moving.
What you'll bring
- At least three years of relevant experience in nonprofit development, fundraising, donor relations, grant writing, communications, or a closely related field.
- Excellent writing and editing skills, with the judgment to turn broad ideas, program information, and data into clear and persuasive messages for different audiences.
- Experience managing multiple projects, deadlines, and details without losing sight of the larger goal.
- Strong verbal communication and relationship-building skills with donors, community members, colleagues, volunteers, and partners.
- Comfort working independently, collaborating across a small team, and shifting priorities when circumstances change.
- Proficiency with common workplace technology and the ability to learn donor databases, project tools, and communications platforms quickly.
- A bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience.
Especially helpful
- Direct experience writing and managing grants; experience with institutional funders is strongly preferred.
- Experience with individual giving, donor stewardship, fundraising events, or development communications.
- Experience supporting a capital campaign, anniversary campaign, or other major fundraising initiative.
- Familiarity with DonorPerfect or another donor/customer relationship management system.
- Knowledge of Baltimore and enthusiasm for building relationships across the city's nonprofit, philanthropic, business, and neighborhood communities.
How you'll work
You bring professionalism, sound judgment, and a collaborative approach to your work. You stay organized, attend to details, and can turn broad ideas into clear next steps. You learn quickly, ask thoughtful questions, communicate openly, and follow through on commitments. When priorities shift, you adapt while keeping others informed. You are comfortable building relationships with donors, partners, colleagues, and community members and contributing to a respectful, community-centered workplace.
Compensation and benefits
The salary range for this full-time (40 hours/week) exempt position is $60,000-$65,000 annually, depending on relevant experience and education.
Benefits include 100% paid employee medical and dental coverage beginning on the first day of employment. (Employees may add dependents at their own expense.) Additional benefits include a SIMPLE IRA with up to a 3% employer match, 18 days of PTO, and 10 paid holidays.
Apply here: VLP Development Manager
Please submit a résumé and cover letter describing your interest in Village Learning Place and highlighting the experience that best prepares you for this role, including relevant grant writing, fundraising, or donor communications experience. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.
Applications will be reviewed as they are received. Village Learning Place may close the posting once a sufficient candidate pool has been identified.
Equal opportunity
Village Learning Place is an equal opportunity employer. We value a workplace that welcomes different backgrounds, experiences, identities, and perspectives, and we encourage qualified candidates who share our commitment to literacy, learning, and community to apply.
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